Cambridge Locksmith

Door Closers and Exit Devices

All door closer manufacturers make surface mounted door closers specifically for narrow stile aluminum storefront door applications. They also all make adapter plates for installation of their non-specific surface closers in narrow stile aluminum door applications.

Door closers are often installed in the top jam configuration on narrow stile doors. Since the header tube is usually around two inches high, many closers have mounting holes placed vertically only one inch apart.

Parallel arm installation has become more popular in recent years. Because the top rail of an aluminum storefront door is often only three inches high, a drop plate is usually need to make the door closer installation possible.

For more information see Door Closer Basics

Many door closer manufacturers make concealed overhead door closers for use on aluminum storefront applications. The ones I encounter most often are:

Dorma RTS88 series

Jackson 100 and 300 series

LCN 2030 series

To order, you need to know:

Door width

Interior or exterior door

Degree of swing and/or hold open

Hold open or non-hold open

Double acting or single acting door

Finish for cover plates and arms if necessary

Exit Devices

Adams Rite

Adams Rite offers a wide variety of exit devices for aluminum storefront doors, including rim, surface vertical rod, concealed vertical rod, and mortise exit devices. Adams Rite is one of the few companies that make a narrow stile surface vertical rod exit device. Some door manufacturers use or have used Adams Rite exit devices as original equipment on their products.

One nice feature of the mortise exit device is that the mortise lock that comes with it is a drop-in replacement for the 4900 or 4510 deadlatch – great to know if you need to replace a latch paddle with an exit device to comply with life safety code.

Doromatic

Doromatic offers rim and concealed vertical rod exit devices for narrow stile aluminum doors. Doromatic exit devices have been used as original equipment by some door manufacturers.

Jackson

Jackson offers rim and concealed vertical rod exit devices for narrow stile aluminum doors. Jackson exit devices have been used as original equipment by some door manufacturers.

Other Manufacturers

Corbin, Sargent, Von Duprin and Yale all offer exit devices usable on aluminum storefront doors. Some manufacturers offer devices that will fit on narrow stile doors, some only make devices that will fit on medium or wide stile doors.